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Purdue Fort Wayne
PR - Rio Piedras
Young 'Dons Blank Puerto Rico
1/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Jan. 10, 2009
Fort Wayne, IN -- The IPFW Mastodons (2-0, 0-0 MIVA) defeated the Roosters from the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras (UPR) Saturday night 3-0, (30-27, 30-27, 30-22) for their second win in as many days.
Fifteen different players saw playing time on the night and nine of them recorded kills. Ben Duckworth led IPFW for the second straight night with 14 markers, hitting .500 on the evening. Ivan Matos recorded nine kills for IPFW while Phil Peterson notched five. Corey Frain, Darryl Shank, and Oliver Kook had four respectively while freshmen Jonathan Meyer and Eric Hardek each had three. Chris Briggson also contributed his first collegiate kill in the effort.
Freshman Setter Dan Mader handed out 29 assists in the first two sets before Corey Stewart set the 'Dons to the win with 12. Mike Morici started the match for IPFW at libero collecting 10 digs.
UPR's Andres Escalera scored the first kill of the match for the Roosters before IPFW's Briggson got the 'Dons on the board with a kill. The two teams then exchanged points in the first frame which would include 18 ties and seven lead changes. IPFW's final kill in the set came from Duckworth who went eight-for-nine in the set (hitting .889). The 'Dons secured the lead at 28-27 and won the set after three straight UPR attack errors.
Set two saw IPFW trailing early at 2-0 before a kill from Matos and a UPR handling error tied the game at two. After being tied at three, the `Dons collected three errors forcing coach Ball to use a time out. IPFW responded quite well out of the quick breather rattling off five straight points to retake the lead 8-6. Again the 'Dons tried to gain separation in the middle of the set but could only lead by three before the Roosters would claw back to tie. Duckworth hit back-to-back kills pushing the lead to 16-13 and then Peterson hit two making the score 19-16. IPFW finally broke free at 27-26 with a kill from Duckworth who also had the set-ending kill 30-27.
After the break, Ball started with a new lineup which featured more upper-classmen than in the first two sets. Stewart set while Kook and Berg held down the middle position and Meyer, Shank, and Hardek contributed from the outside. Kook tied the match with a kill at 3-3 before Stewart found Shank for a kill creating the lead for IPFW. Three straight UPR attack errors built a cushion for the 'Dons. IPFW's largest lead in the third set came at its conclusion with a kill from Kook ending the set 30-22.
Wilfredo Fernandez led the way for the Roosters with eight kills. Ramon Jose Lopez and Andres Escalera had six respectively. Setter Michael Quinonez had 23 assists, five digs, two aces, and two kills for UPR.
Next up for the 'Dons is a road trip to face the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders in Newark, N.J. on January 23. Match time is set for 7:00 PM. IPFW comes home on Friday January 30, for the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association conference opener against Loyola-Chicago.
~Dons~
